1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a horizontal-roofing roof, a joint for horizontal-roofing roof, and a mounting method of horizontal-roofing roof and, more particularly, to a roof integrated with solar battery and a mounting method thereof.
2. Related Background Art
There are mainly two ways for placing a solar battery on a roof: one of them is a method for mounting the solar battery on an existing roof; the other is a method for laying the solar battery itself as a roof.
In the former, the solar battery is installed by use of some frame on the existing roof, and conventional solar battery modules can thus be used as they are. However, the installation cost is high and the appearance is poor. Therefore, the latter method is drawing attention recently.
As for the latter method, a variety of mounting methods of roof are known for long in general, and prior art examples using the solar battery include Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 5-55618 (tile roofing), Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 59-152670 (horizontal roofing), Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 6-114111 (horizontal roofing), National Publication of Translated Version No. 6-503684 (vertical roofing), and so on.
In the conventional horizontal-roofing roofs, however, since roof panels are laid from the eaves to the ridge as being seam-jointed, there is a problem that replacement of some roof panels after mounted is very difficult. For example, when a solar battery module on the eave side is faulty, the faulty module cannot be replaced before the entire roof is removed, thus posing a problem that maintenance is very troublesome. This is also the case in the conventional roofs, but in the case of the integral roof with the solar battery, the problem becomes especially serious, because a failure greatly affects the total system.
In addition, there is a problem that it is not easy to specify roof panels to be replaced in the case of the combination solar battery and roof panels, despite the need for replacement of some roof panels. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 59-152670 discloses electrical connection of horizontal roofing, but it has a problem that once solar battery modules have been laid, it becomes impossible to measure an output of solar battery of each module and that checking works thereof require work amounts substantially equal to total replacement.
Additionally, since line connection works of combination solar battery and roofing materials are normally conducted at the same time as construction of roof, there occasionally occur such troubles that the roof is laid with insufficient line connection works. Therefore, complexity of construction of roof is a problem and any horizontal-roofing roof panel and solar battery combination that can fully solve these problems has never existed heretofore.